Three symbols of Thailand: Buddhism

Three symbols of Thailand: Buddhism, people, monarchy

By Do Je-hae

BANGKOK — The primary purpose of my three-day trip to Thailand last week was representing my newspaper at an international conference on East Asia's maritime disputes.

With that behind me, I had a chance to look around this city of eight million, one of the busiest tourist centers in the region. Accompanying my colleagues at the conference and I was Noh Sang-soo, a Korean travel guide who had spent 25 of his 50 years in Thailand.

We shuttled through Bangkok on a chartered bus, and during the rides he talked endlessly about the country and the people of Thailand. I listened intently because as a first-time visitor here and I had very little knowledge of Thailand. I was eager to learn the success ingredients of Thailand's tourism.

His early introduction of Thailand began with explaining the meaning of the three colors — red, white, blue — that make up the flag of Thailand. "The white stands for Buddhism, the blue for the king and red for the people," Noh explained.
During my stay in Bangkok, some aspects of the Thai people were source of great surprise for me.